Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Many people will already be aware (but equally, as many will not) that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

All kinds of cancers warrant attention, but this one is particularly close to my heart. You see, I have an Auntie who very fortunately won her battle against this particular cancer, and several friends who have done the same. I know many of you will have been touched by this cancer, whether personally or as a family member or friend of someone who has fought it, hopefully successfully.

What many people don’t realise is that it’s not an exclusively female cancer. Yes, men can get it too. We ALL have breast tissue, it’s just that this area tends to be more prominent in women.

It is vitally important that that everyone knows what to look for because breast cancer, if caught early, is very treatable, and the earlier it’s discovered, the more chance there is of beating it and coming out the other side a survivor. The longer it’s left, the more the chance of recover drops.

Please, everyone, be aware of changes in your breasts, or in those of your partner. Check them every month and take note of even the smallest change, then get it checked out! The old adage of “Better safe than sorry,” has never been more true than when applied to the detection of cancer.

There’s also something else you can do. You can help in the battle against ALL cancer by ensuring that research into treatments and cures is funded. To that end, I have designed a cross stitch sampler bearing the poem “What Cancer Cannot Do” and each time one of these is sold, I donate the entire proceeds of the sale to Cancer Research UK.

And if you don’t cross stitch, you can help by making a donation, however small or large, at my Just Giving page HERE. Don’t forget to add gift aid if you’re in the UK – it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it means the charity gets a little bit more.

But that’s not all! I’ve also created a series of FREE cross stitch designs that you can use, whether as gifts, or in your own fundraising efforts for breast cancer charities: